Migraines – When pain strikes, what can you do?

You might be under the false point of view that a migraine is simply a bad headache, but if that sounds like something you would think then you have obviously never had a migraine. Research done by BUPA has shown that around 2 million Australians are regularly suffering from migraines, often including debilitating pain which renders them useless until the migraine has passed.

Not much fun, I’m sure you can appreciate.

If you’re one of the people out there who regularly suffers from migraines, or even if you only get them rarely, you’ll understand just how troublesome and distressing they can be. When a migraine attack happens, the sufferer often has to take to their bed, shutting out all noise and light, and simply ride out the migraine until it passes, as once it begins, there’s not a lot you can do about it; of course there are preventative measures, and for anyone who is troubled by migraine, then prevention should always be the first line treatment.

Here at Optimal Life we are committed to helping sufferers of migraine, both in terms of prevention, and looking at ways to hopefully minimise symptoms when they do occur. I believe that chiropractic care is a great first line treatment method for those suffering from the effects of migraine. There is great evidence to suggest that moving, stretching, and gentle manipulation of the spine is an effective way to help prevent migraines from occurring when used in conjunction with other lifestyle advice, such as omitting food triggers from the diet, e.g. foods containing tyramine, MSG, or nitrates. Such food intolerances can be the main trigger for an attack, so it makes sense to cut these out of the diet. Another possible treatment is to take magnesium and vitamin B2 supplements, which have been shown to help reduce attack frequency.

In terms of overall health, chiropractic is a fantastic addition to your lifestyle, however, when it comes to reducing the frequency of migraine attacks, studies have shown that the more chiropractic treatment you have, the lesser attacks could occur. Why? Well, the spinal adjustments which are used during a session have been shown to be as effective as some drugs, creating a more harmonious way of life for the person involved.

There are two main types of migraine, migraine with aura, and migraine without aura. The first option is the lesser type, which often passes after an hour but can sometimes be a precursor to the second, more severe type, which can last anything up to 72 hours and comes attached to very unpleasant effects such as nausea and vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light, noise, and movement, and low blood pressure as just a few examples.

Nobody can predict when a migraine attack is going to happen, which makes it such a bane on a sufferer’s life; how can you go about your daily business with ease and happiness if you’re constantly waiting for the next bout of pain and upset from your regular migraines? Put simply, you can’t, so it’s important to look at ways to reduce or even stop the frequency of your attacks.